How To Teach A Child To Speak Properly

Teaching a child to speak is one of the most wonderful and exciting experiences that you can have as a parent. It can also be a stressful time for you. You may not be sure if the language skills of your child are progressing in the right way for example.

While it is true to say that babies and older children are going to take care of learning how to speak by themselves, you can do some things to help them progress better and faster. This is what we will cover in this post.

How to Teach Baby to Talk

It all starts when your child is a baby. You need to know how to teach your baby to talk so we have the best methods here for you. In the first year of your baby’s life, they will naturally develop language skills. This will happen fast, but there are some great ways that you can add to this natural development.

How to Teach Baby to Speak – Sing to them

We are often asked the question “how to teach my baby to talk?”, and we always respond to this by telling parents that they need to sing to their baby each day. Some parents will naturally sing to their babies. If you are not currently singing to your baby every day then make a commitment to do this.

The reason that singing works so well is that your baby will quickly learn basic language building blocks. This includes things like cadence, vocabulary and rhythm. Your baby will love it when you sing to them as they will find this very soothing. There is no better way for your baby to learn the basics of language – they will feel comfortable and loved with your singing.

While you are singing to your baby you can increase their engagement level. Let’s assume that you are singing a song about a teddy bear. Get one of your baby’s teddy bears and hold it so that they can see it. Make the teddy bear dance to the rhythm of the song that you are singing.

Singing to a child of any age is going to be a benefit to them. Did you know that you can start singing to your baby before they are born? Yes, you can sing to your baby when they are in the womb so be sure to get started early.

How can I teach my baby to talk – talk to them often

Do not concern yourself with the fact that your baby is too young to understand what you are saying to them. When you talk to your baby you will help them to become familiar with speech and develop an interest in it.

Be sure to speak to your baby using a happy voice and always speak gently. You want to ensure that your baby knows that you really care for them. If you are in a situation where there are other people present, talk with them in front of your baby so that they will hear the conversation.

It is a really good idea to talk to your baby as you are going about your day. When you are making lunch tell your baby that you are doing this. Explain to them why you are making that particular sandwich or whatever. Tell them that you really like what you are preparing!

When you are speaking with your baby make sure that you establish and maintain eye contact with them the whole time. This is a great way to keep your baby engaged. You can talk to your baby even when they are still in the womb. As soon as your baby is born, start to talk to your baby several times each day.

How to Teach Baby to talk Early – Read to them

You can create a stronger bond with your baby when you read to them. This will also help with the faster development of their language skills. Begin with simple fabric or broad books. It is better if the books have a couple of images on every page.

As you are reading to your baby, point at the relevant images and describe them. It is likely that your baby will want to participate here using their senses. For example, it will be natural for your baby to want to touch the book that you are reading.

There are special books available for babies that have a “touch and feel” element to them. These will encourage your baby to use their senses when you are reading to them. Dorothy Kunhardt has a special board book called “Pat the Bunny”.

With an interactive book like this, it is best to talk with your baby about what they can hear or feel as well as what they can see on each page. As an example, you can ask your baby if they saw Pat the bunny, and tell them to feel how soft it is.

Your baby can benefit from you reading to them even if they are newborn. They are probably not going to be able to understand your speech, but they will love to hear your voice and to spend time with you while you are reading to them.

How to Teach your Baby to Speak – Talk to them about Objects

It is likely that your baby will have objects that you can talk about. They are going to have clothes to wear as well as utensils for eating and some toys. When you use these objects be sure to talk to your baby about them. In a short while your baby will learn to associate the words you speak with the different objects.

If you are using a spoon to feed your baby you could say “your spoon is coming with your favorite food” for example. When you are covering your baby at night you can tell them that their lovely warm blanket is coming. You get the idea.

Tell your baby about specific objects from the moment they are born. It is unlikely that they will repeat any of the words that you use until they are approaching a year old. But don’t let this put you off as they are very likely to learn the meaning of your words before they celebrate their first birthday.

Best way to Teach Baby to Talk – Imitate the Sounds they make

When your baby is a few weeks old they will try to speak to you. They will make certain sounds and you need to respond to these. Your baby may start to coo or even gurgle. Every time that you hear them do this you need to mimic the sounds they are making.

By mimicking the sounds that your baby makes, you will encourage them to keep making the sounds. This will teach them about conversations, and how they have a back-and-forth element. You want to get them used to listening and responding.

Each time your baby makes a sound it is a good idea to respond to them as if they are talking to you. So, when your baby starts to coo, you can respond with something like “oh really that is very nice” or something similar.

It is likely that your baby will start to make these sounds between the ages of 2 and 3 months. They will transition from crying for attention to making more specific sounds. By the time that your baby reaches 6 months, you will probably find that they will babble on quite a lot.

How do you Teach a Baby to Talk – Repeat Words they attempt to Imitate

When your baby starts to come out with specific sounds it is likely that they will try to imitate some of the words that you are saying to them. You need to be both excited and pleased when they start to do this. Help them by repeating the word that they are trying to copy.

For example, if you are reading a story to your baby about a dog, you can say to them “do you see the dog?” Your baby may respond with “tog” instead of dog. Say to them that’s correct “dog”. Do this in a loving way and ignore the fact that they have not said the word properly.

Babies are going to start to copy your words at different times. Some will be able to do this when they are only 3 months old. Others will take longer to do this – maybe 6 months old or even a year old.

How do I Teach my Baby to Talk – Get Excited

Whenever your baby tries to say a word, you need to get excited. It is a great experience to hear your baby say their first word. When this happens be as excited as you can be! Show your baby that you are really pleased and very proud of them.

Put a smile on your face and clap your hands. Say to your baby “wow you said mama” and you can also say something like “you are so good”. What you are doing here is getting them excited about speaking words. Your excitement will rub off on them and encourage them to do it again.

As soon as your baby utters their first word encourage them to keep saying it. Ask them to say “mama” or whatever the word is. Always respond well to your baby when they say the word. It doesn’t matter if your baby gets the word wrong. Anticipate what they meant to say and respond accordingly.

So, if your baby says “ba ba” when they mean bottle, give them their bottle right away and say “here is your bottle”. Each baby is different and you cannot predict when they will say their first word. By singing, talking and reading to them each day you are likely to make this happen sooner rather than later.

How to Teach my Baby to Speak – Give them some Quiet Time

You need to allow your baby some “quiet time” so that they can explore their capabilities to say words on their own. When your baby starts to make sounds, give them time to babble on and play without any distractions.

This doesn’t mean that you have to be completely silent when your baby is having some quiet time. You can continue to respond to the noises that your baby makes for example. Focus on keeping other noises to a minimum such as the TV. All babies need quiet time no matter what age they are.

How to Train a Baby to Speak – Always be Patient

Your baby will learn to speak at some point and you need to be patient with their learning. By using the methods we have recommended, you will provide your baby with the best chance of speaking early. But if they take a while to learn to talk then always be patient with them.

There is no exact age where a baby should be speaking. If your baby is not talking by the time that they are a year old then don’t panic. Keep persisting with your baby’s language development and make it a joyous experience for them. Never show your baby that you are frustrated because they are unable to talk to you.

How to Teach a Child to Talk – Older Babies

OK, your child is still a baby at one year but we are going to provide you with some more advanced methods for children aged one and upwards. When your baby gets to around a year old it is likely that they will have started to utter some words.

Between 12 and 15 months it is probable that your baby will be able to say a couple of words and understand around 25 words or possibly more. If you ask your baby to give you their toy it is likely that they will give it to you.

Older babies will develop their nonverbal skills too. If your baby cannot ask you for something then they will probably be able to point to it at this stage. There are things that you can do to teach 1 year old to talk and say the words that they already understand:

• When you use something always talk about it
• When reading to your baby ask them questions about any pictures
• When your baby names the things they see then clap your hands and smile
• Encourage your baby to speak by talking about the things they want
• Ask them to choose between juice or milk for example
• Always build on the words that your baby says

An older baby between 15 and 18 months should be able to gesture to you in a more complex way. They will also be building their vocabulary of words. When your baby wants something, they will probably ask you directly for it. At this age you can do the following:

• Ask your baby to show them body parts such as their fingers, their nose, their eyes and so on. When you ask, point to the same part on your body
• Hide something from your baby while they are watching you and then tell them that you will find it together. When you find it share in their delight
• When your baby gives you something discuss this with them. Say something like “thank you, you gave me your toy” or whatever is applicable

How to Teach 18 Month Old to Talk

By the time your baby is 18 months old they should be able to put certain words together. They should also be able to follow simple directions that you give them. If your baby wants to eat something then they may say “want eat” or something similar.

Your baby will probably be “pretend playing” at this point which you need to encourage as it will help with the development of their language skills. We often get asked “how to teach my 18 month old to talk?’ Here are some of the things that you can do:

• Encourage your baby to help you. Ask them to bring you a shoe or to put their cup on a table for example
• Teach your baby simple nursery rhymes and songs. Keep reading to your baby and ask them to tell you what they see and point this out
• Encourage your baby to talk with other members of your family and anyone else that drops by. Get them to talk about a new toy they have for example
• Keep encouraging your baby to pretend play. They can have a party with their toys and so on

How to Teach my 2 Year Old to Talk

Here you will learn how to teach your 2 year old to talk. When your child reaches the age of 2 and beyond, their language skills will be growing considerably. They will be able to string a lot more words together and speak sentences at a simple level.

If you are leaving your home to go out then your child may say something like “mommy go now bye bye”. You should be able to ask your child some simple questions that they can answer such as “where is your cup?”

How to teach a two year old to talk? There are several things that you can do to help a 2 year old and an older child to talk. It is essential that you help your child to put the new words that they have learned together. You can do this by teaching them things that are important for them to know:

• Teach them how to say their first name and their last name
• When your child shows you something, ask them about the shape and size of it and also how many there are
• You need to start asking your child “open-ended” questions at this stage. Don’t ask questions that only require a “yes” or “no” answer. The reason that you want to do this is because your child will learn to develop their own ideas and express them to you. When your child points to something in a book for example you can ask them “what are the ducks doing?” or “how many ducks do you see?’ In the early stages you can suggest an answer to help them
• Encourage your child to tell stories. If they have a favorite book then ask them to tell you the story of the book. It will help your child to speak if they are starting to read early. There are reading programs available such as the proven “Children Learning Reading”. When your child learns to read it will help them to speak properly too
• Encourage role-playing and the acting out of different stories with pretend play
• Recall what worked well when your child was younger. Quiet time is important for your child when they are 2 or 3 years old as well as when they were a baby. Give your child space and time to play on their own. If your child wants to talk to you during this time then you need to respond to this

Make Teaching Your Child to Talk a Joy for both of you

Now you know how to teach kids to speak it is essential that you make this a joy for you and your child. Your child will learn to speak faster and properly when you make it fun for them. Get excited about your talking sessions with your child and share in their joy as they continue to learn.

Always bear in mind that children develop their language skills at different ages. You must support your child and not panic if they are not speaking when you think that they should. By making your conversations with your child fun for them and giving them care and love, you will give them the best possible chance to speak at the earliest possible time.

Never apply pressure when you teach a child to speak. If they get a word wrong then never get angry with them or criticize them. Be patient and apply the tips that you have learned in this how to teach a child to speak properly post.